(A/N): From my Noalok prompt post on tumblr. The prompt was "Instead of running away that night, Noatak kills their father and they tell mom he had a "hunting accident". Of course, the dark secret eats at them."
Short fic/drabble.
Warnings for murder.
Tarrlok never knew how far his brother would be willing to go until he heard the sickening crack of bone the moment his father raised a hand to strike him.
"Don't you dare touch him," he said with cold venom, stepping between him and their father.
"Noatak, stop—"
"You can't… do this…. You're mine!" Tarrlok heard his father gurgle, and the younger boy clutched his brother's parka fearfully.
"We're your sons. Not your tools of revenge."
"Noatak, no!"
Another crack, and their father spoke no more.
—
For days, Tarrlok wouldn't look him in the eye.
Their mother grieved—of course she did. She knew her husband as a good man far longer than they knew him as one, and she never saw the monster. She had been protected from that, and her sons had taken the brunt of it.
Tarrlok's eyes were always downcast, and people assumed he was grieving too. Noatak, he had always been cold, so they believed his to be the silent grief of a strong eldest son, now the eldest male in the family, with responsibilities that once belonged to his father.
They thought he cared. No, let his mother grieve the man she thought she knew. All he cared about was Tarrlok.
One night, he crept into Tarrlok's room, just like he used to do when they were kids and Tarrlok was having a nightmare.
Tarrlok had his back to him, but when the bed dipped as Noatak sat, he moved over—just like when they were children.
Noatak lay down and reached around to take Tarrlok's hand. Tarrlok relaxed into the half-hug, which he thought was a good sign.
"You know I had to do it," he said after a while.
"Hmm," Tarrlok said noncommittally, his tone disturbingly blank.
"He was going to hurt you."
"You hurt me," Tarrlok pointed out.
"He would have hurt you more if I didn't. I had to protect you."
Tarrlok said nothing.
"We're free now," Noatak insisted desperately. "Don't you understand? We're free from him. We can do whatever we want. The two of us, together. There's nothing we can't do."
Tarrlok clutched his hand harder, and curled into his embrace. It was a loving gesture, a warm, trusting gesture, but the words that came out of his mouth were cold and distant.
"Yes, Noatak."
.end.
(A/N) Still taking prompts! Hit up my ask box at muchymozzarella on tumblr!